Gerald Raymond McMaster (born 9 March 1953, in
North Battleford
North Battleford is a city in west-central Saskatchewan, Canada. It is the seventh largest city in the province and is directly across the North Saskatchewan River from the town of Battleford. Together, the two communities are known as "The B ...
) is a curator, artist, and author and a
Plains Cree member of the
Siksika Nation.
[Abbot, Larry]
Gerald McMaster: Plains Cree.
''A Time of Visions.'' (retrieved 20 Nov 2009) McMaster is Professor Emeritus of Critical Curatorial Studies and Indigenous Visual Culture Studies. He is a former Tier 1 Canada Research Chair and was director of the Wapatah Centre for Indigenous Visual Knowledge at
OCAD University
Ontario College of Art & Design University, commonly known as OCAD University or OCAD U, is a public university, public art school, art university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its main campus is located within Toronto's Grange Park (neighbourh ...
.
He was formerly the adjunct curator at the
Remai Modern in
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...
.
Early life and education
Gerald McMaster was born in 1953 and grew up on the
Red Pheasant First Nation reserve in
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...
, Canada. His father is Blackfoot, while his mother is Plains Cree. He says he grew up listening to the ''
Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture.
He first appeared in 1933 in a ...
'' and ''
Hopalong Cassidy'' on the radio, while avidly reading western
comic book
A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...
s – all of which would later influence his art.
[
McMaster says, "I've been an urban Indian since the age of nine. I've attended art school in the United States, trained in the Western tradition; yet I am referred to as an 'Indian' artist. I have danced and sung in the traditional ]powwow
A powwow (also pow wow or pow-wow) is a gathering with dances held by many Native Americans in the United States, Native American and First Nations in Canada, First Nations communities. Inaugurated in 1923, powwows today are an opportunity fo ...
style of Northern Plains, yet my musical tastes are global ..."[
McMaster studied art at the Institute of American Indian Arts in ]Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe ( ; , literal translation, lit. "Holy Faith") is the capital city, capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Santa Fe County. With over 89,000 residents, Santa Fe is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, fourt ...
, from 1973 to 1975. He earned his BFA from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
. He earned his master's degree in Anthropology and Sociology at Carleton University
Carleton University is an English-language public university, public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1942 as Carleton College, the institution originally operated as a private, non-denominational evening college to se ...
in Ottawa, Ontario
Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
,[Ryan, 297] and continued his studies at the University of Amsterdam
The University of Amsterdam (abbreviated as UvA, ) is a public university, public research university located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Established in 1632 by municipal authorities, it is the fourth-oldest academic institution in the Netherlan ...
in the Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
.[Newlands, 210]
Artwork
McMaster draws and paints with humour and an ironic juxtaposition of traditional and contemporary pop culture elements. Identities, fluid and multiple, are central to his art practice. In his piece ''Eclectic Baseball'', "traditional Plains Indian symbols of warfare and sacred ceremony were freely mixed with symbols and actual equipment of contemporary baseball". One of his best known series is ''The cowboy/Indian Show''.[ Hide painting, ]pictograph
A pictogram (also pictogramme, pictograph, or simply picto) is a graphical symbol that conveys meaning through its visual resemblance to a physical object. Pictograms are used in systems of writing and visual communication. A pictography is a wri ...
s, and petroglyph
A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions ...
s inspire his methods of representation. He works in oil and acrylic.[
In 1995, he ceased being a full-time artist in order to devote more time to curating, critical theory, and writing.
]
Career
From 1977 to 1981, McMaster directed the Indian Art Program and was an instructor at the First Nations University of Canada (formerly known as Saskatchewan Indian Federated College) at the University of Regina
The University of Regina is a public university located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Founded in 1911 as a private denominational high school of the Methodist Church of Canada, it began an association with the University of Saskatchewan as a j ...
in Saskatchewan. Beginning in 1981, he was curator of Contemporary Indian Art at the Canadian Museum of Civilization
The Canadian Museum of History () is a national museum on anthropology, Canadian history, cultural studies, and ethnology in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. The purpose of the museum is to promote the heritage of Canada, as well as support related res ...
in Ottawa.[
McMaster has curated a number of thought-provoking contemporary Native art shows, including ''INDIGENA'' at the ]Canadian Museum of Civilization
The Canadian Museum of History () is a national museum on anthropology, Canadian history, cultural studies, and ethnology in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. The purpose of the museum is to promote the heritage of Canada, as well as support related res ...
. In 2011, he curated with Ingo Hessel ''Inuit Modern'' at the Art Gallery of Ontario
The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO; ) is an art museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located on Dundas Street, Dundas Street West in the Grange Park (neighbourhood), Grange Park neighbourhood of downtown Toronto, the museum complex takes up of phys ...
in Toronto. In 1995, McMaster curated Edward Poitras's exhibition at the '' Biennale di Venezia''. In 2005, Poitras, of Gordon First Nation, was the first aboriginal artist to represent Canada in the ''Biennale di Venezia''. In 2012, McMaster was the co-artistic director of the '' Biennale of Sydney.''
He served as the director's special assistant and deputy assistant director for cultural resources at the National Museum of the American Indian
The National Museum of the American Indian is a museum in the United States devoted to the culture of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. It is part of the Smithsonian Institution group of museums and research centers.
The museum has three ...
in New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
from 2000 to 2004. He worked with the permanent collections there, as well as curating the shows, ''First American Art'' in 2004 and ''New Tribe/New York'' in 2005.["Native Networks: Gerald McMaster."](_blank)
''National Museum of the American Indian.'' (retrieved 20 Nov 2009) He was curator of Canadian art
Canadian art refers to the visual arts, visual (including painting, photography, and printmaking) as well as plastic arts (such as sculpture) originating from the geographical area of contemporary Canada. Art in Canada is marked by thousands of ...
at the Art Gallery of Ontario
The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO; ) is an art museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located on Dundas Street, Dundas Street West in the Grange Park (neighbourhood), Grange Park neighbourhood of downtown Toronto, the museum complex takes up of phys ...
from 2004 until 2012, when he was succeeded by Andrew Hunter.
In 2018, together with David Fortin, McMaster co-curated the "Unceded: Voices of the Land" exhibition at the Venice Architecture Biennale, which featured the work of Indigenous architects from Canada.
In 2020, McMaster publishe
Iljuwas Bill Reid: Life & Work
through the Art Canada Institute. The book is one of the first comprehensive documentations of the artist's storied career and affinity for his indigenous heritage.
McMaster curated the exhibition ''"Postcommodity: Time Holds All the Answers"'' by the interdisciplinary arts collective Postcommodity, featuring Cristóbal Martínez and Kade L. Twist. The exhibition was on view at Remai Modern from 2021 to 2022.
In 2022, McMaster was the lead curator of the "Arctic/Amazon: Networks of Global Indigeneity" exhibition held at The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery. This exhibition featured work by artists from across three continents: Sonya Kelliher-Combs, Tanya Lukin Linklater, Couzyn van Heuvelen, Máret Ánne Sara
Máret Ánne Sara (born 1983) is a Sámi- Norwegian artist and author. Her work explores political and ecological issues affecting the Sámi and Indigenous communities of northern Norway.
Career
Sara's art focuses on Sámi identity and liveli ...
, , , Morzaniel Iramari, Leandro Lima & Gisela Motta, Sheroanawe Hakihiiwe, Pia Arke, and Outi Pieski. A book by the same name, ''Arctic/Amazon: Networks of Global Indigeneity'', was edited by McMaster and published in 2023 and includes a major contribution by him.
Awards and honors
* 2005 - National Aboriginal Achievement Award.
* 2006 - Order of Canada
The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.
To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...
.
* 2014 - Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the Emily Carr University of Art and Design.
* 2017 - Tier 1 Canada Research Chair
Canada Research Chair (CRC) is a title given to certain Canadian university research professors by the Canada Research Chairs Program.
Program goals
The Canada Research Chair program was established in 2000 as a part of the Government of Canada ...
in Indigenous Visual Culture and Curatorial Practice.
* 2019 - Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of Saskatchewan
The University of Saskatchewan (U of S, or USask) is a Universities in Canada, Canadian public university, public research university, founded on March 19, 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatch ...
.
* 2021 - OCAD University
Ontario College of Art & Design University, commonly known as OCAD University or OCAD U, is a public university, public art school, art university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its main campus is located within Toronto's Grange Park (neighbourh ...
Award for Distinguished Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity.
* 2022 - Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts - Outstanding Contribution Award.
Exhibitions
* "In the Shadow of the Sun." Ottawa: Canadian Museum of Civilization
The Canadian Museum of History () is a national museum on anthropology, Canadian history, cultural studies, and ethnology in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. The purpose of the museum is to promote the heritage of Canada, as well as support related res ...
, 1988.
* "Indigena: Contemporary Native Perspectives." Ottawa: Canadian Museum of Civilization, 1992.
* "Venice Bienelle - Edward Poitras." Venice, 1995.
* "Plains Indian Ledger Drawings." New York City: Drawing Center, 1996.
* "Reservation X: The Power of Place." Ottawa: Canadian Museum of Civilization, 1997
* "Norval Morrisseau/Copper Thunderbird: Draw and Tell: Lines of Transformation." New York City: Drawing Center, 2000.
* "First American Art: The Charles and Valerie Diker Collection of American Indian Art." New York City: National Museum of the American Indian, 2004.
* "New Tribe New York." New York City: National Museum of the American Indian, 2005 to 2006.
* "Inuit Modern." Toronto: Art Gallery of Ontario, 2010.
* "Biennale of Sydney." Sydney, 2012.
* "Before and After the Horizon: Anishinaabe Artists of the Great Lakes." New York City: National Museum of the American Indian, 2014.
* "The Faraway Nearby: Photographs of Canada from The New York Times Photo Archive." Toronto: The Image Centre, 2017.
* "Venice Architecture Biennale - Unceded: Voices in the Land." Venice, 2018.
* "Peripheral Vision(s)." Hamilton: McMaster Museum of Art, 2019 to 2020.
* "Postcommodity: Time Holds All the Answers." Saskatoon: Remai Modern, 2021 to 2022.
* "Arctic/Amazon: Networks of Global Indigeneity." Toronto: The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, 2022.
Selected published works
* McMaster, Gerald, Jennifer S. H. Brown, Clara Harfittay, and Shirley J. R. Madill. ''Robert Houle: Indians from A to Z''. Goose Lane Editions, 1990. .
* McMaster, Gerald and Lee-Ann Martin. ''Indigena. Contemporary native perspectives in Canadian art''. 1992. ASIN B0010YFFSC.
* McMaster, Gerald. ''Edward Poitras: Canada Xlvi Biennale Di Venezia''. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1995. .
* McMaster, Gerald. ''Mary Longman: Traces''. Exhibition catalogue. Kamloops, BC: Kamloops Art Gallery, 1996.
* McMaster, Gerald. ''Jeffery Thomas: Portraits from the Dancing Grounds''. Exhibition catalogue. Ottawa: Ottawa Art Gallery, 1996
* McMaster, Gerald. "Museums and Galleries as Sites for Artistic Intervention", In ''The Subjects of Art History: Historical Objects in Contemporary Perspectives''. Eds. Mark A. Cheetham, Michael Ann Holly, and Keith Moxey. Oxford: Oxford University Press: 250–261. 1998.
* McMaster, Gerald. ''The New Tribe: Critical Perspectives and Practices in Aboriginal Contemporary Art''. Amsterdam: Acedemisch Proefschrift, University of Amsterdam, 1999. ASIN B001ELWQLK.
* McMaster, Gerald. ''Reservation X''. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1999. .
* McMaster, Gerald and Clifford E. Trafzer, eds. ''Native Universe: Voices of Indian America: Native American Tribal Leaders, Writers, Scholars, and Story Tellers''. National Geographic, 2004. .[Review: ]
* McMaster, Gerald, Bruce Bernstein, Kathleen Ash-Milby, eds. ''First American Art: The Charles and Valerie Diker Collection of American Indian Art''. Washington DC: National Museum of the American Indian, 2004. .
* McMaster, Gerald and Joe Baker, ed. ''Remix: New Modernities in a Post-Indian World''. Washington DC: National Museum of the American Indian, 2007. .
* McMaster, Gerald.
Iljuwas Bill Reid: Life & Work
'. Toronto: Art Canada Institute, 2020. .
* McMaster, Gerald and Nina Vincent, eds. Arctic/Amazon: Networks of Global Indigeneity. Goose Lane Editions, 2023. .
Notes
References
*Newlands, Anne. ''Canadian Paintings, Prints and Drawings''. Richmond Hill, Ontario: Firefly Books, 2007. .
*Ryan, Allan J. ''The Trickster Shift: Humour and Irony in Contemporary Native Art''. Victoria: University of British Columbia Press, 1999. .
G. R. Mcmaster, 1953–
at the University of Amsterdam
The University of Amsterdam (abbreviated as UvA, ) is a public university, public research university located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Established in 1632 by municipal authorities, it is the fourth-oldest academic institution in the Netherlan ...
''Album Academicum'' website
External links
Gerald McMaster's art
, on Britesites
{{DEFAULTSORT:McMaster, Gerald
1953 births
Living people
First Nations painters
Artists from Ontario
Canadian art curators
Indigenous curators of the Americas
Members of the Order of Canada
20th-century First Nations writers
Carleton University alumni
University of Amsterdam alumni
Institute of American Indian Arts alumni
Indspire Awards
21st-century First Nations writers
Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts winners
Red Pheasant Cree Nation
Siksika Nation people